As another Wizards season is lost to losing, all Wizards fans have their eyes on the 2011 NBA Draft. In that light, watching Harrison Barnes score 40 points against Clemson to lead North Carolina to the ACC Tournament final was awesome.
↵It goes without saying that Wizards fans had a mancrush on Barnes as soon as that game ended. The Wizards are likely to have another top-five pick, and Barnes is expected to go very high in the draft. The question now becomes whether Barnes is worth moving to the top of the Wizards' draft board.
↵The argument for doing so has to do with Barnes' recent play. After a slow start, Barnes has been unbelievable, just like his team. He hasn't scored fewer than 16 points since February 19, and that was in a game that ended 48-46. If you think about it, his numbers in the last 13 games aren't too far off from what Kevin Durant did in his only year in college. Barnes has the kind of game that translates easily to the pros, and the Wizards need talent more than anything.
↵The argument against it though has to do with fit. Barnes is a swingman, and the Wizards' true weakness is inside. Can the Wizards justify passing on Jared Sullinger or Enes Kanter to pick a guy who plays less of a position of need. It's a tough, tough question.
↵No matter what, though, we know this: if the Wizards pick Harrison Barnes, few fans will be disappointed.